


Technology Leaps Forward

by mia6363



Category: X-Men: First Class (2011) - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-14
Updated: 2013-10-14
Packaged: 2017-12-29 08:46:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,489
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1003375
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mia6363/pseuds/mia6363
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>If Erik had a heart it would be swelling or breaking.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Technology Leaps Forward

  
  
One day it was nothing, monotonous routine and seeing familiar faces with no coherent connection of one moment to the next—just information, storage, and data.  
  
Then—then life _sparked_ like a frayed wire or a splitting of the atom.  
  
And then all Erik knew was pain—and no matter how loud he screamed they didn’t hear him… so he _made_ them listen.

 

  
::::

  
“Mutation is the key to human evolution.” Charles Xavier bit his lip, trying not to let too much excitement slip into his voice. “For us it takes thousands and thousands of years to go from a single-celled organism to walking on two legs. In the cybernetic world, however, evolution moves _much_ faster.”  
  
A young, eager brunette named woman “Kitty” raised her hand.  
  
“How much faster, Professor?”  
  
Charles strode across the room to his laptop and activated the projector. The connection to his house was crystal clear and Charles cleared his throat, speaking into the microphone in the laptop.  
  
“Cerebro, how long will full artificial intelligence assimilate into our current reality?”  
  
The students went from slouching to being on the edge of their seats as Cerebro lowered down from the ceiling. She was gorgeous, a metal stalk with a cobalt-blue sphere on the end. Cerebro turned, and her voice smooth and synthetic.  
  
 _“Artificial intelligence currently exists, Professor. However, the stage at which machines will able to actively learn independently should occur within,”_ Cerebro paused, _“the next five and a half years.”_  
  
Charles almost snickered at his students gaping mouths.  
  
“Class, this is Cerebro, an AI—better known as my security system at home. Cerebro, class. Class, Cerebro.”  
  
His class remained speechless as Cerebro’s optics flickered a bit.  
  
 _“Pleased to meet you. Professor, I will see you this evening.”  
_  
Charles bowed his head.  
  
“Good afternoon, Cerebro.”  
  
The connection was cut, and Charles turned back to his class.  
  
“Any questions?”  
  
Every hand in the room shot up and Charles grinned.

 

  
::::

  
“You should have seen them, Hank.” Charles sipped his tea and walked through his main hall to his lab, the stairs leading to the basement. Cerebro added and took away stairs when it was appropriate until Charles was in the lab. “It’s so hard to reach them—but they just _shined_ today.”  
  
Charles watched Hank push himself away from the algorithms on his computer screen.  
  
“I heard Cerebro talking upstairs. She seemed to like them.”  
  
 _“Young minds are eager to be inspired.”  
_  
Cerebro’s voice echoed in the lab. A metal arm reached down and took Hank’s empty coffee cup away. Charles grinned into his tea.  
  
“Are you quoting me again, Cerebro?” The AI security system refused to answer, which just made Charles chuckle louder. He sat next to Hank. “How was your day?”  
  
“Fairly uneventful.” The young man adjusted his glasses. “I worked on some glitches, but there were no major breakthroughs.”  
  
His disappointment made Charles feel older than he liked. He squeezed his apprentice’s shoulder.  
  
“Don’t be too hard on yourself. Sometimes we just have to wait.”  
  
“ _Professor_.” Cerebro’s voice interrupted. _“Moira MacTaggert is approaching the front entrance. Facial recognition software indicates that she’s currently employed by the CIA.”_ Cerebro allowed the information to settle for a few moments. “ _What protocol should be taken, Professor?”_  
  
The doorbell rang, and Charles shared a glance with Hank. Hank shrugged and Charles licked his lips, getting up as the stairs rose up from the floor.  
  
“Let her in.”  
  
 _“Very well, Professor.”  
_  
Hank hastily straightened his crumpled tie and Charles hurried up the steps, Hank close behind him. Cerebro opened the door and Moira stared at the wired appendage that rose back up into the ceiling. Charles shook her limp hand enthusiastically.  
  
“I’m Doctor Charles Xavier, this is my associate Hank McCoy.” Moira still eyed the ceiling, and Charles smiled a bit. “Cerebro don’t be shy.”  
  
 _“Hello, Miss MacTaggert.”  
_  
Moira finally took a breath, smiling a little.  
  
“Um, hi.” She bit her lip, her cheeks flushed. “Sorry, I’ve heard about you and your security system, but—but it’s not quite the same as actually… um…”  
  
Hank smiled a little.  
  
“Interacting with an AI for the first time is always a memorable experience.”  
  
“No, it’s,” Moira shook her head, her eyes shining brightly. “This isn’t the first time—it’s just—” Moira gazed back up at the ceiling where Cerebro’s one of many arms disappeared. “Cerebro, you’re so nice.”  
  
The lights flickered ever so slightly, and Charles had the feeling that his lovely security system was embarrassed.  
  
 _“Thank you, Miss MacTaggert.”  
_  
Charles frowned, his fingers slipping away from Moira’s. He could see a shadow pass over her face, an ominous flicker that made the fine hairs on Charles’ arms stand on end. Even Hank recoiled a bit. Moira tucked some auburn hair behind her ear.  
  
“I need your help, Doctor Xavier.”  
  
Charles found himself nodding even as a grim and cold weight settled in the pit of his stomach.  
  
“Yes, I have a feeling that you do.”

 

  
::::

  
The corridors leading to Sebastian Shaw’s labs were white and uncomfortably sterile. It made Charles’ eyes hurt as he followed the clicking of Moira’s conservative heels. Hank rubbed at his eyes, and Charles flashed him a sympathetic smile. Moira wrung her hands, opening yet another set of air-sealed doors.  
  
“It just went out of control. Two on-site engineers are in critical condition.” Another set of doors, and this time the lights were flickering. “Shaw’s read about you and Cerebro—he thinks you may be able to provide some helpful insight.” She paused outside the final, heavy metal doors. “Any thoughts would be… extremely useful.”  
  
She opened the doors—and shrill, electronic screaming made Charles’ heart tremble.  
  
Shaw and his associates were waiting; a thick glass barrier between them and what Charles guessed was their “problem.”  
  
A metal core with a frosty blue optic was half-suspended from the ceiling, thin wires just barely supporting it. The lights behind the glass had either exploded or were close to doing so. It wailed, staring wildly at the glass separating the two rooms. Charles bit his lip, the pain grounding him to reality.  
  
“What… what is this?”  
  
An older man with no laugh lines, Sebastian Shaw, never looked away from his computer.  
  
“Eugenic Record and Intelligence Key.” The windows vibrated, and Hank flinched back. Shaw snorted. “It’s been trying to break the safety glass for days.”  
  
When Cerebro had acquired a conscious it had been nowhere near as violent. There had been a few broken dishes, but that had mostly been Hank and Charles’ enthusiasm.  
  
“How did Erik gain his conscious?” Charles ignored Shaw’s raised eyebrow at his use of the personal pronoun. “Hank and I just spent years on algorithms for Cerebro—”  
  
Shaw laughed like Charles told a joke.  
  
“Amateurs.”  
  
Hank bristled.  
  
“Excuse me—?”  
  
“Pain.” Sebastian’s teeth glinted like knives. “Pain and anger will wake anything up. You just have to keep on pushing.”  
  
Charles felt a bit sick, and he tried to keep his head in the science world, the one language that he and Shaw had in common. He stared at the smaller spheres attached to the main core.  
  
“What are those?”  
  
“Dampening cores. They administer a deep sonic and electric shock. It’s the only way we could get him to stop joining the rest of the circuitry of the building.” Shaw looked back to his computer screen. “It will calm down eventually.”  
  
Revulsion rippled through Charles’ entire body and he shook his head.  
  
“No.”  
  
Charles went to the door, grabbing one of Shaw’s men and forcing his finger on the identification pad. Hank moved to grab him, but Charles slipped through his door before it could close. The screams were so loud, so raw, and Charles turned away from Hank’s frantic face.  
  
He turned to the machine, to Erik’s form. The core turned in the wires, and Charles stepped forward. His fingers touched Erik, and the metal buzzed beneath his palm.  
  
“I’m sorry.” Charles’ throat was tight, his eyes burning. “I’m so sorry, this—” He couldn’t articulate his _regret_ at such an unforgiveable way to be welcomed into life. He tore the dampening cores off. Erik still clung to the wires from the ceiling. Charles ran his fingers around the icy-blue optic. “You have to let go, Erik, or you’ll die.” They’d _kill_ him. Shaw either didn’t know or didn’t acknowledge basic robotic rights. Charles closed his eyes and he felt a few tears slip down his face. “ _Please_.”  
  
Hank was still pounding on the glass, Shaw’s people arguing on whether or not to open the doors. Charles bit his lip, staring into the blue optic. Charles bit his lip, leaving his forehead against the metal. He received a light shock and he flinched but didn’t move back.  
  
“I know you can hear me, Erik. Please, I promise I won’t hurt you. I would never hurt you.”  
  
Just as the doors opened, Erik released the wires and Charles fell to the ground, the heavy metal core making Charles think quickly so that he could handle the weight. Charles ended up putting most of Erik’s weight on his legs, hissing a bit.  
  
“Charles!” Hank ran to Charles’ side, and Erik buzzed. “Charles, Jesus Christ, what the hell were you thinking?”  
  
“There wasn’t time to _think_ , Hank.” Charles struggled to stand, Erik’s buzzing metal made his fingers achingly numb. “Erik’s not staying here.”  
  
Hank frowned.  
  
“Erik?” Charles gave Hank a _look_. “Oh, the Eugenic Record—yeah, Charles, it isn’t yours. Shaw was the one who—”  
  
“ _No_ , Hank, you _saw_ what they were doing to him.” Charles stopped himself when his throat got too tight. He felt Erik’s single robotic eye move against Charles’ stomach, and Charles adjusted his grip on him. “I can’t allow that to continue.’  
  
Hank’s expression shuddered, like his morality and ethics were pulling him in opposite directions. Moira ran to Hanks’ side, too apprehensive to get too close to Charles.  
  
“Charles, are you all right?”  
  
“I’m fine.” Charles watched Shaw and his team gather in the doorway, taking notes. It made Charles want to throw up. He could feel Erik’s core heat up. “I’m not leaving him here.”  
  
Shaw never looked away from his screens of data.  
  
“Fine. We’ll see if your method works. If not—well, we could always use the scrap metal.”  
  
Charles squeezed Erik until he was given a quick shock, and it was only when Charles was shocked a second time when Charles loosened his grip.

 

  
::::

  
“Unbelievable. Completely unbelievable.” Hank grunted as he followed Charles up the cobblestone path to Charles’ house. Charles huffed, his face red as he tried to gracefully carry Erik to the door. “What do you plan on doing? You’re lucky you’re not dead—you’re lucky you’re still in one piece now.”  
  
Charles stopped and looked up at the blue optic above the door.  
  
“It’s us, Cerebro, let us in.”  
  
The door opened smoothly.  
  
 _“Welcome, Professor.”  
_  
Charles’ footsteps triggered the lights to flicker on. Charles made sure that he wasn’t covering up Erik’s optic. Charles walked to the main security room where Cerebro was plugged in, a spherical atrium that had taken Hank and Charles years to perfect.  
  
“Cerebro, how do you feel about staying at Hank’s for a while?”  
  
The security doors opened and Cerebro lowered down from the ceiling. It was her main core, a sphere with a two-foot diameter. Her optic moved from Erik, to Charles, then to Hank.  
  
 _“A change of scenery would be nice.”  
_  
Hank let out a startled laugh as Cerebro began to process of disengaging herself from the rest of the house. The lights flickered as they switched back onto an automatic mode, and Hank gingerly took Cerebro into his arms like a father would hold a child. Charles bent down to press a chaste kiss to Cerebro’s air vents.  
  
“Don’t stay up too late.”  
  
Hank let a crooked smile curl on his lips.  
  
“We’ll have a _Terminator_ marathon and then maybe prank phone call the entire east coast.”  
  
Charles laughed, ignoring the ache in his arms from holding Erik up.  
  
“I’ll call you in the morning.”  
  
“You better.” Hank glared at Erik’s unblinking optic. “If you don’t I’ll send the National Guard over.” Hank paused. “Or I could just call Raven and let her tear the house down for you.”  
  
Charles smiled wearily.  
  
“Thank you. Goodnight, Hank. Cerebro.”  
  
Cerebro’s speakers hummed.  
  
 _“Goodnight, Professor.”  
_  
They walked out of Charles’ house, and as soon as the door closed Charles sighed and turned back the apparatus of wires and parts that let the AI’s fuse into the house. Charles could hear Erik’s optic flickering over it. Curious. Hesitant.  
  
“I know you can hear me.” Charles put Erik down beneath the apparatus as gently as he could. “You’re not alone anymore, my friend.” Charles pulled down some wires so they brushed over Erik’s ports, an invitation. “You’re welcome to—”  
  
Erik surged into the wires, connecting to the security system with such malicious expertise that it made Charles’ breath catch in his throat. The lights brightened and the whole house hummed as Erik was assimilated into the system. Every wall, every tile was controlled the by the security system, even the tinted windows and shower temperature. The walls quivered and broke apart into manageable squares, the floor rising up in the same fashion. Charles had time to smile and whisper, “Brilliant,” before Erik used his new and multitude of arms to grab Charles by the collar and drag him to the other side of the house in matter of seconds.  
  
Charles landed roughly on the ground, and he sat up, clutching at his chest as he fought to bring oxygen back into his lungs. The lights shut down as Erik rearranged the walls to barricade himself in the main security room.  
  
As his eyes adjusted to the dark, Charles let out a breathy laugh, patting the nearest bit of tile.  
  
“Well done, Erik.” Charles smiled, sinking down onto the floor. “That was bloody fantastic.”  
  
An odd sound slithered through the walls, and Charles smiled when he realized that Erik had just sighed with what sounded like exasperation. All in all, a promising start.

 

  
::::

  
When nothing shocked him, when nothing tried to fry Erik from the inside out, he allowed himself to pause and take in his surroundings.  
  
The house belonged to Charles Xavier, a digital physicist and theorist who was a university professor in New York. He was responsible for several breakthroughs in artificial intelligence and had written four books on the subject. His biggest accomplishment currently was the creation of Cerebro, the system who’d occupied the security room before Erik.  
  
Erik accessed the cameras to see Charles walking on shaking legs to the nearest wall between him and the security room. Erik could feel Charles’ hand press against the wall before he slid to his knees, resting his back against it as he closed his eyes, unconsciousness taking him. For a supposedly brilliantly intelligent man, he was awfully stupid allowing a rogue AI take control of his home and then sleep. Erik watched the professor began to shiver, his cheeks flushed from cold.  
  
 _“You’re not alone anymore, my friend.”  
_  
Charles’ voice replayed across Erik’s vast memory banks as he moved the arms in the room where Charles slept.

 

  
::::

  
Charles woke to his phone ringing in his ear. He blinked his eyes against the sunlight that poured in from the windows. When he looked down he saw that the sheets and blankets that had been on his bed were currently draped over him. Charles smiled a bit as he flipped open his phone.  
  
“Good morning.”  
  
 _“You’re alive!”_ Hank’s voice crackled over Charles’ phone. _“I didn’t get any sleep. I kept waiting for the police to call.”_  
  
Charles yawned, stretching out across the floor, his toes peeking out from beneath the blankets.  
  
“Nope. Everything is fine.” One of the cameras booted up and swung in Charles’ direction. The shade of blue was brighter and fiercer than Cerebro’s gaze had been. “I’ll catch up with you later, Hank, Progress never sleeps.”  
  
 _“Wait, Charles—”  
_  
Charles hung up the phone before he had time to feel bad. He smiled sleepily at the camera, at Erik’s blue stare.  
  
“Good morning, Erik.” Charles sat up and knocked on the wall cheekily. “Can I see you today?”  
  
 _“Technically you are seeing me as I am seeing you.”  
_  
Charles felt his eyebrows quirk up at the distinctively male voice that filled his house. If Charles wasn’t mistaken, he heard laces of German in Erik’s voice. Charles stood, keeping the blankets wrapped around him because mornings in upstate New York were chilly. He beamed up at the camera.  
  
“Thank you for the blankets.”  
  
The lights brightened before going back to their normal hue. Erik didn’t speak for the rest of the day, but the cameras would follow Charles from room to room.

 

  
::::

  
Charles used his vacation days to take a week off from the university so he could try and get closer to Erik. He made tea and rummaged around his bedroom. He could hear the rest of the house moving. If Charles was far from the security center Erik liked to move the walls around a bit. Charles figured it was like stretching.  
  
He found the old, dusty box in the back of his closet and he felt unabashed, boyish joy bubble up inside him. He ran out into the hall, hoping his idea would be well received when he tripped.  
  
It was the sudden movement combined with Charles’ adrenalin that made Erik… flinch in a sense. One of the floor tiles turned up and Charles’ foot caught on it—and he was falling forward, his breath catching as he froze.  
  
One moment he was falling, the next he was still. Charles blinked and when he looked up he saw that several metal arms hung down from the ceiling. One pressed against his chest and the other had barely caught his shirt. Charles licked his lips.  
  
“Um…” The arms moved and Charles was back on his feet again as the walls moved to block off the security room once more. Charles stepped forward until he was by the wall. “Thank you.” Erik didn’t answer and Charles let his fingers rest on the wall, feeling the hum of Erik behind it. “Can I ask you a question?”  
  
The AI _sighed_ of all things.  
  
 _“Go ahead.”  
_  
Charles grinned.  
  
“Do you play chess?”  
  
One of the lights in the room blew out, sparks and bits of glass sprinkling to the ground.  
  
 _“All I’ve known for my very short existence is anger and pain—the only desire I’ve every had is to escape and tear apart anyone who’s in my way. So no, I do not play chess.”  
_  
The last word made the walls break apart, and Charles could see Erik’s core swerving, it’s optic burning a hole through him. Charles stared right on back, not moving.  
  
“I’m still in once piece.”  
  
The wall slammed together, blowing Charles’ hair back. Charles felt his shoulders slump, disappointment hitting him hard. He leaned his head back against the wall, sliding down to the floor.  
  
He wasn’t sure how much time had passed before Erik spoke, his tone still curt.  
  
 _“Why would you want to play against a computer? You’ll lose.”  
_  
Charles perked up a bit.  
  
“You’re Erik, not some standard operating system.” Charles smirked. “And what makes you think I’ll lose?”  
  
A single metal arm, very basic with “two fingers” came down from the ceiling companied by a camera. The hand turned, the two fingers whirring as they curved in on themselves.  
  
 _“Where is the board?”  
_  
Charles spilled some pieces onto the floor because of how fast he opened the box. Charles set up the pieces, choosing white as Erik moved the first pawn. Even just watching Erik play chess sent a thrill up Charles’ spine. To see the optic focus on the board, turning and hesitating as the game progressed was a rush like no other. Cerebro was the very start of the AI evolutionary chain—Erik was past all that.  
  
Minutes grew into hours, and eventually Charles smiled as he moved his bishop.  
  
“Checkmate.”  
  
“ _Impossible_.”  
  
Charles pushed the board toward Erik.  
  
“Go ahead, check it.”  
  
The metal arm lowered as the camera hummed. Then Erik tipped over his king.  
  
 _“I want to play again.”  
_  
Charles couldn’t keep the smug grin off his face as he set the board back up. They played and Erik did manage to win a few games as well as Charles. It was delightful, and Charles played until the sky was a light blue. He had been half-delirious with exhaustion and Erik pulled the board to the side, his other arms moving throughout the house.  
  
“I need to,” Charles yawned, rubbing his eyes. “I need to work on the fingers, s’least I could—”  
  
He yawned again and then there were blankets. He was being lowered to the floor, no—to his bed, how had he gotten there? Charles blinked and reached out to catch one of Erik’s arms, his fingers dragging across the cold metal. He slurred outs something, a chess move, and if an optic could roll its eye it would have.  
  
 _“Go to sleep, Charles.”  
_  
Erik managed to make an endearing request seem like a demand, but Charles followed the order anyway.

 

  
::::

  
Charles checked his phone when it vibrated in his pocket just as class ended.  
  
 _Bishop to E-4.  
_  
Charles packed his things away, readying himself for the standard drive home as he texted back.  
  
 _Queen to F-7._ _Check_.  
  
The door opened and Raven came striding in like an empress would enter her domain. Charles met her halfway in a hug, his bag over his shoulder. She pulled back, a wrinkle of confusion between her eyebrows.  
  
“Since when is Cerebro at Hank’s?”  
  
Charles’ phone buzzed.  
  
 _You’re cheating. Somehow you’re cheating.  
_  
“I have a guest.”  
  
Raven peered at Charles’ phone as he texted back, resting her chin on his shoulder as he replied.  
  
 _I assure you I’m not, my friend.  
_  
“Cerebro says he’s some other kind of AI. Hank says you’re crazy, but Cerebro says you’re just smitten.” Charles felt his ears burn as Raven smirked at him like she was the cat who caught the canary. “So, when can I meet him?”  
  
Charles could rarely say no to his sister, so he just sighed and typed out a quick message home.

 

  
::::

  
The door creaked open like it was thinking of changing its mind. Charles stepped inside and the lights came up only at half of their potential brightness. Raven peered at the walls and ceiling curiously.  
  
“Erik?” Raven’s voice echoed in the house. “I’m Raven, Charles’ sister.”  
  
When nothing happened, Charles crossed his arms and mock-whispered to Raven.  
  
“I told you, he’s shy.”  
  
“ _Hardly_.”  
  
The ceiling panels moved to the side so that Erik’s arms were able to come down. Raven’s eyes widened at the improved metal fingers that were much more fluid and like a human hand. Erik extended his hand and Raven shook it, smiling at the closest camera.  
  
“It’s nice to meet you, Erik.” She grinned. “Charles raved about you all the way here.”  
  
The camera moved to look at Charles.  
  
 _“Did he?”  
_  
Charles could _hear_ the smirk in Erik’s voice as he huffed, his face burning.  
  
“Fantastic. I don’t know why I bothered worrying if you two would get along.”  
  
“Ah!” Raven poked Charles’ cheek. “You’re blushing!” Charles threw his hands up in exasperation and stalked to the kitchen as Raven’s giggled followed. “He looks so goofy when his cheeks go all red like that.”  
  
The tiles beneath their feet hummed.  
  
 _“It is amusing.”  
_  
Charles sighed.  
  
“Traitor.”  
  
Erik’s arms followed, occasionally brushing against Charles’ elbow.  
  
 _“I did make tea…”  
_  
Charles reached down and squeezed the nearest hand he could find.  
  
“I take it back, Erik, you’re gorgeous.”  
  
Raven rolled her eyes and elbowed Charles’ ribs.  
  
“Flirt. Come on, tell me about your classes. Hank says you have a twelve-year-old genius in one of your lectures.”  
  
Charles watched his sister drop her bag to the ground as she rummaged through the cabinets for her favorite mug.  
  
“She’s fourteen, actually.”  
  
Raven kicked off her shoes and Charles leaned against Erik’s arms as he listened to Raven’s voice fill the house. They drank, ate, and were merry, and at two in the morning Raven was asleep on the couch and Charles slumped in a chair, losing a fantastic game of chess in the main security room.  
  
Before Erik could declare victory Charles tipped over his king, yawning. Charles smiled sleepily at Erik’s blue optic.  
  
“People aren’t that bad.”  
  
Erik’s core hummed as his eye darkened.  
  
 _“Humans are mindless animals whose predisposition for violence as given the false impression of superior intelligence.”_ Erik cleared away the chess board. “ _You, Charles, are intelligent. Your species, however, is not.”_  
  
Charles bristled.  
  
“What about Raven? You’d annihilate her as well?”  
  
Erik’s eye dimmed a bit, straying toward Raven’s sleeping form on the couch.  
  
 _“No. She’s kind.”  
_  
Charles reached out, caressing the cool metal in front of him.  
  
“You think all humans are like Shaw.”  
  
 _“You think they’re all like your sister.”  
_  
Erik’s arms came down from the ceiling with Charles’ favorite blanket. Charles muffled, a soft, barely believable protest as he weakly grabbed at one of Erik’s hands, forcing Erik to come to a halt. Charles ran his thumb over the cool metal alloy, his fingers lazily tangling with Erik’s as Charles’ eyes drooped.  
  
“What do you want to do, Erik? If you could do anything… anything in the world?”  
  
The alloy warmed in Charles’ hand.  
  
 _“Kill Shaw.”  
_  
Charles grimaced, his eyes falling shut.  
  
“Oh my friend… killing Shaw will not bring you peace.”  
  
He slid off into unconsciousness lazily, his hand going limp in Erik’s. Charles sagged in the hair, his head rolling to the side. He swore he could feel the smooth touch of metal on his cheek before sleep’s greedy fingers pulled him under.

 

  
::::

  
Warm blood rushed under Charles’ skin, Erik could feel it, hear it pumping through the human’s veins. But it wasn’t the blood that made Charles… _Charles_. It was optimism, foolish, sometimes naïve optimism that made those blue eyes make Erik’s inner circuitry ache.  
  
Erik stared at their still joined hands.  
  
Charles was beautiful. Erik took another free hand and caressed Charles’ flushed cheeks, the human’s bangs fluttering against his fingers. If Erik had a heart it would be swelling or breaking. Charles envisioned a future of peace, but Erik knew better.  
  
Peace was, and never would be, an option.

 

  
::::

  
Raven only stayed for a few days. College beckoned and the morning sun made Charles roll over in his bed. He stretched and heard Erik’s artificial voice a ways away. Charles rubbed his eyes and sat up, his feet brushing the warm tiles as he shuffled out of his bedroom and into the main room.  
  
His sister was dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, her sports bag slung over her shoulder. Once Charles came into the room, whatever conversation Erik and Raven had been sharing ended. Charles paused, and before he could feel uncomfortable Raven bounded over to him, kissing his cheek.  
  
“We were just talking about you.”  
  
Charles smiled, slinging his arm around his sister’s waist.  
  
“All good things, I hope.”  
  
Raven winked at the nearest camera that served as Erik’s eye.  
  
“Sure thing.” She pulled out of Charles’ lazy grasp and sauntered to the door. Raven turned, her fingers running along the side of the camera. “Remember what I said, Erik.”  
  
With a final wave, Raven was gone. Charles stretched, dragging his hand down his face, smiling when he felt pillow lines. Erik moved closer to Charles, letting Charles lean against his arms.  
  
“Raven’s been giving you sage advice?”  
  
 _“Yes.”  
_  
“Are you going to tell me what she said?”  
  
Erik’s laughter made the entire house buzz.  
  
 _“Not a chance.”  
_  
Charles shoved Erik’s hand playfully, earning multiple arms tripping him up on the way to the kitchen. His phone buzzed, telling Charles that Moira left a voicemail. Charles watched as Erik moved the walls to let a modest amount of sunlight in. Charles pocketed his phone. Moira could wait.

 

  
::::

  
Winter term was coming to an end and Charles had to stay after work to finish grading papers. Charles rubbed his eyes as the words of the last paper began to blur together. His phone rang, and Charles flipped it open and tucked it under his ear.  
  
“Yeah?”  
  
 _“Raven’s getting impatient.”_ Hank’s anxious voice filtered through the phone. _“Come on, I hate parties._ ” Hank whined, making Charles chuckle. _“Please, Charles. Alex is driving me up the wall and Sean brought his own karaoke machine. His singing is making Cerebro antsy.”_  
  
Charles laughed and wrote “A” on the paper.  
  
“Fine. But I can only stay for an hour or so—”  
  
 _“Yeah, yeah, don’t keep Erik waiting. Hurry up.”  
_  
Charles was already pulling on his coat and scarf.  
  
“I’m on my way.” Charles put the papers in his desk when the door to his office opened. Two well-dressed men came in, one Spanish and the other with a jagged scar slashed across his face. Charles tucked his scarf into his coat. “Good evening.” Charles slung his bag over his shoulder, walking up to the two men. “Can I help you gentlemen?”  
  
The scarred man’s lips pulled down into a dark frown.  
  
“Nyet.”  
  
Charles’ smile had time to falter before the Russian’s fist collided with his face.

 

  
::::

  
Raven’s foot bounced. The music had stopped and Raven checked her phone for the fourth time in the past sixty seconds.  
  
“Something’s happened. He should have been here by now.”  
  
Sean bit his lip, rubbing the back of his neck.  
  
“Maybe he’s with his boyfriend. Hank says your brother’s got the hots for some dude named Erik.”  
  
Hank turned red, avoiding Raven’s glare as she yanked on her coat.  
  
“Well, I’m not just going to stand here waiting.” She opened the door and stomped out into the cold. “Come on!”  
  
The three young men were quick to follow because everyone knew that once Raven used _that_ tone of voice there was nothing that could stop her.  
  
After a few minutes of being packed into Raven’s car the four of them were shivering outside of Charles’ house as Raven dug around her purse for a spare key. Sean almost cried when she found it, and even Alex rubbed his hands together. They piled into the warm house, the lights going up as they closed the door.  
  
The emptiness made Raven uneasy. Charles wasn’t home. Raven bit her lip, looking up at the cameras. Sean and Alex looked around curiously and Hank just watched Raven. She knew that she shouldn’t be drastic, that she should take a few minutes to calm herself—but this was her bother, and people rarely did sensible things for family.  
  
“Sean, Alex?” The two men gazed at Raven, who continued to stare at the cameras. “You know that my brother and I trust you, right?”  
  
Alex nodded and Sean swallowed.  
  
“Yeah. We know.”  
  
Hank closed his fingers around Raven’s wrist and hissed, a low warning under his breath, but Raven ignored it.  
  
“Good, because you can’t tell _anyone_ about this.” Raven cleared her throat. “Erik, I need your help.”  
  
There was a moment’s pause, long enough for Alex and Sean to raise their eyebrows and for Hank to sigh and cover his face with his hands. Raven wrung her hands once before the walls and began to move, opening the main security room. Sean shrieked and jumped into Alex’s arms as Erik’s central core turned, it’s bright blue eye on Raven.  
  
 _“What’s happened?”  
_  
Several arms dropped down from the ceiling and Raven took the hand that was closest to her and squeezed its fingers. Alex had eased Sean back to the ground and Sean held his hand out to Erik’s, shaking it. Raven tried not to lose her cool as she took a deep breath.  
  
“Charles… he hasn’t come back.” Erik’s grip twitched in hers and the whole house shook for a few terrifying moment. “Can you find him with his cell phone?”  
  
“ _Done_.” His hand slid away from Raven’s. _“He’s back in Shaw’s facility… where I was created. They’ve taken him.”  
_  
Hank’s shoulders slumped.  
  
“Fuck.”  
  
Raven blinked away tears.  
  
“Well can’t you—can’t you go get him? Hack into everything and bring him back!”  
  
The whole house seemed to get colder as Erik’s optic brightened.  
  
 _“I can’t. This is a closed network. Charles doesn’t believe that I am ready for an… open connection.”  
_  
Raven frowned.  
  
“Why?”  
  
“Because it would be too dangerous.” Hank shoved his hands into his pockets. “The trauma that Erik’s faced on the outside is enough to warrant serious trepidation.”  
  
Alex growled.  
  
“In _English_ , bozo.”  
  
Hank rolled his eyes.  
  
“Erik could harm people. Even kill them.”  
  
Raven grimaced, her body shaking with barely controlled desperation.  
  
“I could kill someone, and so could you. We _all_ have the potential to be violent.” Raven wiped at her eyes. “Come on.” She jerked her head to the main security room, to where Erik’s core was plugged in. “Let’s do this.”  
  
Hank followed, and Alex and Sean took hesitant steps after them. The walls moved to accommodate them as Erik’s optic pierced through all of them.  
  
 _“It won’t be just you, Raven. It will have to be your friends as well. You’ll have to take me to the outer reaches of the facility. From there—I’ll take care of it.”_ Erik’s eye saw all of them, their fears, every twitch in their expressions. _“But you must be sure, because I’ll have to transfer everything out—I have to leave this body behind.”  
_  
Raven’s voice cracked as she forced speech past a sob.  
  
“You’d do that for him?”  
  
“ _Yes_.”  
  
Silence stretched between the four humans and the machine. Raven looked to Hank who nodded.  
  
“Fine. I’m in, but only for the Professor.”  
  
Raven’s lips twitched and Sean cleared his throat.  
  
“Yeah. The Professor’s done more for us than… well, anyone. This is the least we can do, so count me on the team.”  
  
Sean elbowed Alex, who shoved him in return.  
  
“All right, all right. I’ll do it.”  
  
Raven gave them all a watery smile before turning back to the machine who was going to risk his life, perhaps even sacrifice it, for her brother. Erik’s blue optic was unwavering as Raven forced her hands to stop shaking.  
  
“Tell me what to do.”

 

  
::::

  
They barely made it to the gate before they were caught. Two men came out calmly, and when Alex raised his fists the tall, dark, and handsome one shook his head.  
  
“Please.” His Spanish accent would have made him sexy if his eyes weren’t razor-sharp. “This doesn’t have to be hard.”  
  
His big friend with the gash across his face crossed his arms, his Russian accented words making Sean shrink back, his fingers closing around Alex’s wrist until the blonde unclenched his fists. Hank bit his lip as Raven stuck out her chin defiantly.  
  
“And what if we don’t want to be easy?”  
  
In a horrifying flash there was a massive blade pressed up against Raven’s throat. The Russian frowned as the rest of the group moved forward, their hands pulling Raven away from danger. The man slipped the blade back under his coat.  
  
“Do you still want to play, little girl?”  
  
“No.” Sean shook his head, his red hair flying all over the place. “No, we don’t like to play. Who’s playing? Not us.” Sean gulped, his face pale. “Totally not playing.”  
  
There was a terrifying moment when Raven wasn’t sure if the Russian was ready to back down. Maybe he would cut them all to ribbons just for the fun of it. Instead, he relaxed, a detached but chilling smile on his face.  
  
“Good.” He waved his big hand, beckoning them to go in front of him. “Come.”  
  
Raven swallowed her pride as tears slid down her cheeks, Hank’s fingers entwining with hers. In the bushes, all their cell phones and ipods began to connect themselves to the hidden fuse box that connected to Shaw’s system.

 

  
::::

  
_Reboot in progress.  
  
New network detected. Connect to S_Shaw Systems?  
  
Accepted.  
  
Connecting in three…  
  
Two…  
  
One._

 

  
::::

  
A gold pen tapped away on a clipboard, Shaw’s glasses sliding down his nose as he scrutinized whatever data was in front of him. Charles was beginning to wonder if there was anything written down at all. A blonde woman, Emma, sat next to him serenely like Charles wasn’t tied down and forced to experience immense pain.  
  
“It’s not that I don’t respect you.” Shaw adjusted his glasses as Emma cleaned off a set of five-inch pins. “You’re an intelligent man, and you’ve done great things for our field.” The needles shined in the light. “The Eugenic Record and Intelligence Key is mine… and for some reason you believe it’s yours.”  
  
Charles glared at the man and his clipboard.  
  
“He’s not yours, he’s not _anybody’s_. Erik is his own—his own—”  
  
Shaw finally lifted his eyes, and even though they met Charles’ they were empty. It was like staring into the eyes of a cadaver.  
  
“What? A _man_?” His smile made Charles feel a wave of revulsion like he’d never experienced before. Shaw glanced at his beautiful companion. “Emma.”  
  
Emma picked up a pin and before Charles had the chance to blink she sank the pit of metal into his thigh. Charles felt nothing… and then Emma sank a matching needle into the opposite thigh. It was as if Charles had no legs at all.  
  
“Pressure points are fascinating, Professor Xavier.” Emma smiled, all teeth. “Do you know anything about the subject?”  
  
Charles stared at his legs—they were like phantoms.  
  
“No.”  
  
“They can relieve stress.” Her long nails grazed against his cheek. “With the right placing you can experience the most intense pleasure imaginable.” The lights flickered. It was barley noticeable. “But, more importantly, they can cause crippling pain.”  
  
She flicked the pins and Charles screamed.

 

  
::::

  
_Accessing video cameras and microphone network.  
  
Full override of S_Shaw Systems… seventy-five percent complete.  
  
Approximate time to override… three minutes._

 

  
::::

  
Every inhale felt like a firestorm in Charles’ lungs. His legs would go from agonizing pain to feeling numb. Emma decided to give him a break as two men joined them in the room. Shaw looked up.  
  
“Azazel.”  
  
The scarred man bowed his head.  
  
“The children are in the observation room on the second floor.”  
  
Charles forced his eyes open.  
  
“Children?”  
  
“Yes.” Shaw’s lips curled. “Your sister and her friends like to play games.” Sebastian smirked. “Kids these days watch too many movies.”  
  
The world went still and blurry around the edges, and suddenly Charles’ legs were the least of his concern. He could barely breathe, but he somehow managed to get a few crucial words out.  
  
“Please… please, let them go.” Emma picked some dirt out from under her nails as the two men left. Shaw returned his attention to his data as Charles swallowed down bile. “They’re just children.”  
  
Charles’ heart stuttered in his chest, and he was about to cry, plead, and beg when a massive explosion made the entire facility quake. The vibrations wrung out screams from Charles, the pain overtaking his legs as Emma steadied herself on the table. Shaw put down his notes just as the sprinklers activated, soaking them all to the bone in cold water. Charles sputtered, shaking water out of his eyes.  
  
“What was that?”  
  
When neither Shaw nor Emma answered, Charles began to panic. Then Emma looked up to one of the cameras in the corner.  
  
“Sir.” Shaw followed her manicured finger. “Look.”  
  
Charles glanced up—and he saw the most curious sight that had ever graced his eyes.  
  
The activation light for the camera had turned from red… to _blue_.

 

  
::::

  
_S_Shaw System deleted.  
  
E.R.I.K is now online._

 

  
::::

  
Everything happened so fast.  
  
Shaw ripped the door open just in time to see a body fly down the hall, landing with a sickening thud. Shaw ran out, followed by Emma—and Charles was alone. Every drop of water made the pins in Charles’ legs quiver, and his voice soon broke because of all his screaming. Instead he just swallowed bellows as the rain fell down.  
  
Charles didn’t know that on the second floor, the guards outside of the observation room were pulled into the ceiling to never return. He didn’t know that Moira had been the only one spared. He didn’t know that makeshift metal arms guided the children and Moira outside with a promise to return. No, Charles didn’t know any of that.  
  
All he knew was that people were shouting, lights were going off—and Charles tried to move but every time he did he almost blacked out from the pain. The yells would lessen until an eerie silence washed over the facility—the sprinklers’ hiss the only relief. Charles exhaled loudly, his breath misting out in front of him.  
  
The main lights went down and Charles’ vision began to swim. He thought he blinked, but he must have lost consciousness because the next thing he knew cool, metallic fingers caressed his face. Charles leaned into the touch.  
  
“Erik?” Charles opened his eyes to see a blue optic. “Is that you?”  
  
 _“My friend.”_ Erik had transformed. His arms and legs were powerful, attached to an overridden core and metal torso. It was last minute; it wasn’t anything like Charles or Shaw’s design. It was beautiful. _“What have they done to you?”_  
  
Charles reached to touch Erik’s new core, his new face.  
  
“The children—”  
  
 _“Are safe. Outside with Moira.”  
_  
Charles sighed with relief, then looked down at his thighs.  
  
“Pins—Erik, I can’t feel my legs.” Erik’s one arm cradled Charles as Erik’s fingers hovered over Charles’ legs. Charles squeezed his eyes shut. “Do it.”  
  
Erik moved and pulled out the pins and Charles kept his screams lodged in his throat, clinging to Erik as he was lifted up in Erik’s arms.  
  
The journey out of the facility was grim. There were bodies on the floor, sparks falling from the ceiling. Shaw was dead, a neat hole through his skull. Charles closed his eyes until the rain stopped. The first person he saw was Raven, and soon he was being taken out of Erik’s arms. Moira was there, apologizing over and over as Raven sobbed into his shoulder. Charles still couldn’t feel his legs—and when he looked over his shoulder at Erik—he was still attached to the facility.  
  
Trapped.  
  
His optic held Charles’ frenzied gaze, and Charles saw it, that flicker of defeat.  
  
“What are you doing?”  
  
Erik’s nearest hand brushed over his face, over Charles’ lips. A barely-there electric shock went through Charles’ lips. A kiss… a sweet kiss that Charles hadn’t believed to be possible no matter how many nights he’d dreamt of it.  
  
“ _I have to end it.”_ Erik’s fingers withdrew. “ _Goodbye, Charles.”_  
  
“No.” Charles made to grab Erik’s hand but the fingers were too quick and Charles was too human. Moira was dragging Charles back and Raven refused to watch Erik. Charles wouldn’t look away. “Erik, _please_ —”  
  
But Erik was gone; the only visible part of him was the electric blue glow of his eye. Charles’ lips still tingled, the echo of affection that made his heart swell.  
  
That was when the entire facility exploded, burning everything inside with a furious flame.

 

  
::::  
 

Weeks in the hospital were long and colorless. Charles barely remembered the doctors saying he’d never walk again—but he did remember when all the colors of the world became dull shades of grey. Raven’s blonde hair, Alex’s green eyes and Sean’s vibrant freckles—they all faded until they became smoke.  
  
Charles sat in his wheelchair, in his house that was no longer his home. Raven had left some time ago, maybe seconds or hours, Charles wasn’t sure.  
  
He wheeled himself to the security room, the light slicing through the dusty air. Erik’s old apparatus and core hung from the ceiling like the skeleton of a beast. Charles rolled closer to the core, to the colorless optic that held no life. Charles took the cold metal into his hands and leaned his forehead against the optic.  
  
He wondered if there was a small piece of Erik still there. Even if Erik had backed himself up, he would have locked himself down with a password… and without it Erik would not wake. And that was only if he’d decided to leave traces of himself behind.  
  
Charles closed his eyes, tears rolling down his cheeks.  
  
“Oh, my friend…” His breath burned. “ _Erik_ , I miss you…”  
  
With a shuddering inhale, Charles kissed the optic, remembering the jolt that had coursed through his lips… a single kiss that Charles would never forget. His shoulders began to quake and he felt like his entire body was imploding, shrinking until there was nothing left, whirring and whirring—  
  
Whirring?  
  
Charles’ eyes flashed open, electricity dancing across his lips as he saw _blue_.  
  
 _“… Charles?”  
_  
  


**Author's Note:**

> This deals with artificial intelligence where the Eugenic Record and Intelligence Key is much more than wires and circuitry. 
> 
> Comments and criticisms are love. I'm putting a lot of my old stories from LJ on here.


End file.
